15-Month Check Up

Elizabeth and I went to the doctor for her 15 month check up today. Here are her stats:

WEIGHT: 20 pounds, 14 ounces (19%)
HEIGHT: 31.5 in (77%)
HEAD CIRCUMFERENCE: 47.5 cm (88%).

She was NOT on her best behavior at the doctor, and I got a talking too about how strong willed children really need their parents to set boundaries and I was schooled on time-out. It is not going to be pretty. 

Her weight at 9 months was around 50%, then she got pneumonia and started walking and her weight at 12 months was around 23%, and now at 15 months she is in the 19th percentile.  SO, to make sure she is getting enough fat I was told to force encourage her to drink whole milk (the doctor said herself she is strong willed...how am I suppose to force encourage her to drink whole milk??  She has never cared for milk...or yogurt...) I have known Elizabeth was a "busy" child because if she is awake she is MOVING...but this whole weight issue surprised me.  She eats a TON of food...and mostly good healthy food (although I am sure the amount of cheese crackers she consumes is not really healthy, but that is beside the point). 

I have thought for a while I was washing her hair too much and drying out her scalp...so I cut back but she still had what looked like dandruff...well, she doesn't have dandruff...those flakes are cradle cap...and we have to get some serious shampoo to correct it.

She only had to get one shot today...and she was a big girl about it...they let her sit on my lap and she only cried for a minute.

She said by 18 months she should be able to say 20 words (I think this is all she says now: Mama, Dada, MiMi, Lily Mae, Jack, More, Done, Gus, Dog, Please, There...and of course...NO...but a lot of people can't understand what she is saying so I am not sure if all of those count...).  So she told me not to have any worries...she doesn't even worry about language development until age 2.  So...we will hope she starts using two word phrases by next January and that her vocabulary keeps expanding.   I was told to encourage her expressive language (she has the receptive language skills down) by not responding so quickly to her pointing or gestures and ask her what she wants, and then "play dumb" and ask her..."Oh, would you like _______ ?"

...Wish us luck...

On a different note...E got to see her first rainbow this week, and we caught it on camera! I love Spring.